Kia Sorento SUV (2015 - 2020) 2.2 CRDi KX-1 5d Owner Review

2.2 CRDi KX-1 5d
2014 - Kia Sorento

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In their own words

Most of what I have to say is already in the "expectations" box. If I had to choose again it would be a 50/50 whether I would choose this car. In the not-altogether unhappy event that it became a write-off in it`s first year I would hope to be able to invest in something I liked better since the deal includes a 100% refund of the new cost. On the other hand! It was pretty cheap at around £24,000 for a new car on 3 years finance - you can`t buy a one-year old for that. The 7 year warranty is a compelling factor against any Land Rover model. Also the service costs are very low - Kia have a £300 deal covering the first three years.I would expect the tyres on a car like this to last 30,000 to 36000 miles.That1s it! Kia have a good reputation for reliablity without know bugs; with Hyundai they are No. 4 manufacturer in the world. So they say. The diesel is a strong point with lots of mid range grunt; overtaking is a doddle. It is as they say noisu when revved but you really don`t need to. Unfortunately the lower gears are so badly matched that you can`t accelerate hard - you run out of revs quickly and the engine takes for ever to slow down so you can change up. Best to trickle along till you can get it into fourth gear. Fuel consumption (46 mpg) is a disgraceful exaggeration - you will do well to get 33 mpg, this is confirmed by third party sources, This car is very hard to see out of whatever the road-test pundits may say; It`s combination of thick A and B posts with enormous mirrors and head rests means there are serious and dangerous blind spots - the rear quarter angle on the passenger side is particularly dangerous and cameras are unlikely to be much help here. The rear quarter windows are tiny and of little help. The "privacy" glass is just a bit too private and unfortunately extends to the rear window. The sloping bonnet gives no clues parking. This car has less room inside than you might expect and is best regarded as a jumped-up hatchback; one feature which may disappoint a family is the too-small rear door - you won`t get granny`s armchair in here like in your old estate! Buyers should avoid the Kia tow bar if they want a flange type towball and an audible warning for trailer indicators. The Kia versioh is an expensive lash-up. All in all this is not an upmarket quality car and the price reflects it`s true value. Kis are kidding themselves with their pricing levels. AS AS

Does the car do everything you expected it to do?

Fuel consumption is nowhere near the manufacturer`s claim. I cannot understand why road tests refer to high levels of refinement and comfort. I find the road noise on long journeys really uncomfortable on most (not all) motorway surfaces; this appears to derive partly from drumming of the large roof panel, which seems to have little or no sound-proofing.- maybe the higher trim KX2 and KX3 models are better sound-proofed roofs - and a glass roof would no doubt be better. Refinement comes nowhere near my 2003 Subaru Legacy Estate. Tyre noise is another problem. Handling is OK but at the cost of harsh suspension - you seem to get the worst of both worlds with a bumpy ride over minor road imperfections, and wallowing over bigger undulations. I get the impression nobody actually developed the shock absorber/spring rates by testing on the road, rather it was done theoretical mathematics and it shows.
  • How they rated it

  • Reliability: 4 out of 5 4.0
  • Meets Expectations: 2 out of 5 2.0
  • Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 3.0
  • Andrew Sanders doesn't recommend this car

About their car

  • Fuel type Diesel
  • When purchased March 2017
  • Condition when bought New
  • Current Mileage 2,000 miles
  • Average MPG 32 mpg